The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce withdrew its offer to help host Montgomery Public Schools superintendent finalists’ receptions and fireside chats scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
According to WSFA, Dr. Harold Wright, a deputy superintendent at Fort Worth Independent School District, and Dr. Zickeyous Byrd, a former superintendent of Selma City Public Schools, are the two finalists for the next Montgomery Public Schools superintendent position. The final decision is scheduled to be made between March 26 and April 8.
Jamie Wilson has been serving as the system’s new interim superintendent since October.
The Montgomery County Board of Education voted by a 4-3 margin in September to accept former Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Melvin Brown’s resignation. Brown had been superintendent since April 2022. His resignation was effective last November 1.
Anna Buckalew, president and CEO of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, said on Monday, “The Chamber had originally agreed to help co-host these events based on the expectation of a sincere search process that recruited the best and brightest candidates from around the country.”
“That did not occur, in spite of repeated appeals by a coalition of local leadership for transparency and a request to continue and broaden the search. The Montgomery County Board of Education has sent a very clear signal that the only engagement they seek is to offer audiences with candidates whom they have already selected behind closed doors. The future of MPS students and the vibrancy of Montgomery is at stake here, and that’s worth fighting for,” Buckalew said. “The Chamber again reiterates we are proud of the progress in Montgomery Public Schools and will lend our full support to an expanded and open superintendent search. Montgomery’s students must be ready for the jobs and opportunities new industries generate.”
Lesa Keith, a Montgomery County Board of Education member, told 1819 News on Monday, “The “pushback “ from the Chamber of Commerce and handful of politicians only pushed this seven-member board of women even closer, so I’d like to thank the chamber personally, for the push we so desperately needed! Kudos!”
“They’re in the business of economic development. They want to put a superintendent in there and say that superintendent has been there for 10 years and that all Montgomery Public Schools system’s kids are straight A’s. We’re not, okay. They’re not going to get that no matter what they put into that type (of) position. They want to tell people coming to Montgomery, ‘Hey, we’re a straight A school system and we’ve kept our superintendent for over 10 years.’ The average lifespan of any superintendent of any big place like Montgomery, Atlanta is three years. Stats will tell you that it’s three years,” Keith said.
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